Shoe Shiners at Work along Muindi Mbingu Street in Nairobi. [Photo/Standard]

Shoe shiners have accused the county enforcement officers of harassment that has negatively affected their business.

The shoe shiners on Moi Avenue and at Kencom Bus Station yesterday complained after the officers carried away their stands, leaving them sitting on stones while their clients sat on plastic stools.

Mary Nduta, who lives in Umoja and works as a shoe shiner at Kencom, said a lot of money was spent setting up the stand and it was unfair of the officers to take it away for no reason.

“We spent about Sh45,000 setting up that stand,” Ms Nduta said, adding that she had returned to work for the first time yesterday since Friday because her customers had bombarded her with calls.

“I have clients who pay me at the end of the month. There are some that trust only me to shine their shoes - if it is not me then they would rather not,” she said.

Mark Onyango, another Kencom shoe shiner, said City Hall was on a mission to decongest the city and the shoe shiners had fallen victim. “The askaris say there are too many shoe shiners in the CBD,” he said.

Avoid becoming a victim of Fake News. Subscribe to the Standard Group SMS service by texting 'NEWS' to 22840.